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Ouija | Texting With The Other Side

Have you ever been alone in your home but felt as if there was another presence there with you? The hair on the back of your neck stands tall, goose bumps begin to cover your body, and there is a persistent thought at the back of your head. What if you are not alone after all?

This would be a good time to dust off the old Ouija Board to check if there is a message waiting for you on the other side. It is easy to use; simply place your hands on the pointer, ask your question and let the spirits do the talking or, in this case, the spelling. Once you have the message written down, you may want to ask another question, or you may decide instead to run to your closest neighbor’s house in order to escape the creepy event you just witnessed.

William Fuld was an American businessman, inventor, and entrepreneur from Baltimore, Maryland who is best known for his marketing and manufacture of Ouija boards from the 1890s through the 1920s.

If you do not get the answer you may have wanted, you can blame William Fuld. It was a hot Baltimore summer in 1892 when William first got a patent to improve what was then known as the “talking board.” Fuld said the name came to him by combing the French word for yes, which is “oui”, and the German word for yes, which is “ja.” Mr. Fuld claimed to have used the board many times himself in order to get business advice, and he credits the Ouija for giving him his most profitable ideas. This declaration popularized the boards in the early 20th century, and it remained one of the most popular board “games” until the late 1960’s when it was sold by the Fuld family to Parker Brothers Games.

In 1927, William Fuld had a tragic accident; he fell from a rooftop while overseeing a flagpole that was being replaced. Or did he? Some claim he was pushed while others assert that he took his own life. Perhaps it was something the Ouija told him? Whichever version of the story you choose to believe, remember this: Use the Ouija at your own risk. Some say it is just a game, but who says that a game can’t be deadly? Someone once said, “The Ouija touches a part of us that still believes that there are monsters in the closet.” Maybe we should ask William Fuld…

The Ouija board (play /ˈwiːdʒə/ WEE-jə) also known as a spirit board or talking board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9, the words “yes”, “no”, “hello” (occasionally), and “goodbye”, along with various symbols and graphics. It is a registered trademark of Hasbro Inc., which markets and distributes the Ouija Board as part of its line of board games. It uses a planchette (small heart-shaped piece of wood) or movable indicator to indicate the spirit’s message by spelling it out on the board during a séance. Participants place their fingers on the planchette and it is moved about the board to spell out words. It has become a trademark that is often used generically to refer to any talking board.

1 Comment

Eeeek! The Ouija board seems so creepy to me. There are too many spooky stories out there. It would be nice to have answers to life’s big questions, though. Hmmmmmmmm???!! Maybe I’ll have to buy myself one!